A PENSIONER took a taxi to a multi-storey car park, shuffled up to the fourth floor on a walking frame and then hurled himself 50ft to his death.

He chatted cheerfully to the cabbie about the weather, tennis and cricket just minutes before killing himself.

Widower William Forbes, 82 - said to be his "own man" - planned his suicide after becoming scared of losing his independence.

It was a tragic end to the life of a man who had been a brilliant scientist who had made history by being instrumental in building the world's first computer.

A Macclesfield inquest heard how Mr Forbes of Rye Bank Way, Tytherington, took a lift to the fourth floor of the Grosvenor Centre car park and threw himself to his death.

Cheshire Coroner Nicholas Rheinberg said Mr Forbes' fears about his health had become even more exaggerated towards the end of his life and combined with his desire to retain his independence may have led him to take his own life.

In recording a verdict that he took his own life he said: "I find beyond all reasonable doubt that he deliberately jumped to his death.

"I think it was a realisation that with failing health he was in grave danger of losing the independence he so valued."

Mr Forbes had attempted to take his own life a few years earlier after taking an overdose of paracetamol and was receiving psychiatric care.

His daughter Ruth Barnett told the inquest: "He always had been a hypochondriac. It was something that we lived with all our lives. He was getting older and he knew he was.

"But he was very, very independent and we encouraged him to be independent. He had his own lifestyle."

She said: "Knowing my dad I would say he jumped - he was his own man. If he was determined to do something he would do it."

A suicide note was found in his jacket pocket which Mr Rheinberg said "seemed to indicate his intention".

On the day of his death Mr Forbes, who had been a member of Alan Turing's team that built the world's first computer, called for a taxi to take him into town.

Taxi driver Edwin Tomlinson, who had picked him up before, told the inquest that there were a few unusual things about the pensioner's last journey.

He said he picked him up an hour earlier than usual and dropped him off near the front of the Grosvenor Centre, normally they took him to the town hall, the hospital or the back of the indoor market.

But he added: "He was quite bright and cheerful. We talked as we were coming into town about the weather, and the tennis and cricket that were on at the time."

The court heard that Mr Forbes used his walking frame to get himself to the lift and up to the fourth floor where he threw himself off.

PC Neil Jones, who was called to the scene, said: "I was greeted by two male parking attendants. They had not been able to tell me what had happened but said they heard a loud slap followed by a bang and then found him lying on the ground."

A post mortem revealed that Mr Forbes died from multiple fractures consistent with a fall.

Speaking after the inquest Mrs Barnett said: "He was our dad and we loved him. He was a smashing bloke."